India: Two security personnel killed by Maoist rebels

Two members of the Indian security forces were killed in east-central India when a homemade bomb exploded as their vehicle passed by, police told AFP on Monday, blaming Maoist insurgents.

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Sunday’s attack took place in Chhattisgarh state, where insurgents known as Naxalites and who claim to fight for the rural poor have been waging guerrilla attacks since 1967.

Sukma district police chief Kiran G Chavan told AFP, “Maoists detonated heavy landmines targeting a truck loaded with ration goods.

“Two members of the security forces lost their lives,” he added.

India has deployed tens of thousands of security personnel to fight Maoist insurgents in the rebel-dominated “Red Corridor,” which stretches across central, southern and eastern states but has shrunk significantly over the past decade.

The government has invested millions of dollars in infrastructure development in remote areas and claims to have reduced insurgency from 96 districts in 2010 to 45 districts by 2023.